


Forgotten Friendships

by OctagonsRule



Category: The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants (Cartoon)
Genre: Inspired from a short tumblr comic, Time Toad, Time Travel, didn't see much of anything for it and got hit with ideas, lonely child krupp au, seen every episode but season 2 finale s a v e m e
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 15:23:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18741748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OctagonsRule/pseuds/OctagonsRule
Summary: The boys "borrow" the Time Toad again, and figure it'll be a simple trip, like it never ever is. With a simple goal that's soon misplaced, will two troublemakers risk their future to give their greatest opposition a chance at a nice life one more time? It's not like it could go unrecognizable wrong a second time in a row. With their track record of luck, everything should be juuust fiiiiine.





	Forgotten Friendships

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this post: https://tornrose24.tumblr.com/post/164241383017/considering-how-much-time-travel-gets-involved-in

Time travel, a marvel long since rendered average thanks to a nifty invention of a grade schooler known as Melvin Sneedly. Not that HE would ever be so foolish as to tamper with the delicate weave of the time-space continuum in any sort of reckless manner.

 

No that was the role of two boys known as George Beard and Harold Hutchins.    
  
“You really think we can find something as impressive as that fancy rock Melvin’s been bragging about if we just go back in time far enough?”    
  
“Of course! My gramps always talks about how everything cost so little money that we could find something for just our lunch money! And it’ll probably be more edible too.”

 

_ This is George Beard and Harold Hutchins. George is the kid on the left with the tie and the flat top. Harold is the one on the right with the t-shirt and the bad haircut. Remember that now. _

 

Without need of a distraction- the know-it-all was staying after school for extra credit he never needed- and the gullibly hopeful Mrs. Sneedly seeing them as her son’s friends, George and Harold were climbing into the Time Toad like it was an average Tuesday. Which by all accounts of how their lives went, it really was.

 

After a visually interesting transition sequence where the art-style shifts to remind us how traversing time is a wonder even when done by a mechanical amphibian powered by peanut butter, the two boys find the past not all that strange.

 

Which, itself was incredibly strange.

 

“You know,” George admitted while they walked around outside, rubbing the back of his head. “This looks kinda familiar, don’t you think?”

 

“I dunno, maybe its even still Piqua? I thought the random spin would change the place too-” the striped-shirt child took in the fresh air and shook his head. “But this is waaaay too quiet and clean. Doubt its the same  _ woah wait _ ”

 

One hand on his bestie’s shoulder, the other pointing over to a tree, Harold’s expression turned from curious to concerned. “That kid’s sitting all alone like they just suspended puppies from existing! We should check up on him.”   
  
Though he gave an affirmative nod, quietly the writer of their duo pondered why said kid was  _ also _ looking a bit familiar to him too. They were in the past, there couldn’t be any reason for them knowing anyone.   
  
That kind of suspicion had a habit of being right, and that streak of coincidences wasn’t about to stop now of all instances. With utter abandon, Harold spoke and broke the silence stifling the air beneath the lonely tree with a child under its shade.    
  
“Hey, you okay there? My buddy and I saw you and got worried,” he started, voice growing fainter at first from the size and placement of a bruise on the child’s right cheek as they lifted their head some.”That you, might be. . .”   
  
The quiet returned, now stiff for the time travelers but curious for the native. George Beard had a knack for guessing accurately what his peers would overlook in patterns.For all the griping Mrs. Ribble (justifiable at times) gave for the prankster’s shenanigans, even she gave him credit for that perception with assignments he bothered with.

 

Now while George was internally panicking at the ramifications they could be having,and Harold doing so but also becoming stressed at hearing how this kid got roughed up, said nameless child found such colorfully dressed strangers his age plenty easy to talk to.

 

If they were more bullies, the kid would have been pushed around on sight. If these were rich kids, remarks about his clothes or his mom’s profession could be counted on like the sun rising. But there weren’t many in that slim inbewtween group that would bother with him unless he was in the way or, or at least nearby. Its why he chose this spot to begin with.

 

“-Other than that I’m fine,” the kid continued, questions nagging him too much to leave well enough alone. “You didn’t have to wander all the way over to ask but, thanks anyways. . .  Say though,”   
  
With his face turned fully towards them, now the resemblance was undeniable. Looming to their eyes was a dark and angrily smiling visage of their school principal at  Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, a phantom of a future they could warp drastically with the smallest action.

 

How so, you may ask?

  
“You two don’t look at all familiar. You guys go to another school around here or just visiting?” asked Benjamin Krupp, age 8 and not yet the killjoy George and Harold agitated every day.    
  
And if they weren’t careful, now he might never be.


End file.
